


Oneshots, and Anything Else

by DizzlyPuzzled



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Danny Phantom, Nightwing (Comics), White Collar
Genre: Dick is Neal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-05-31 01:30:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15108968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzlyPuzzled/pseuds/DizzlyPuzzled
Summary: A series of oneshots and stories that I've started, but may never finish.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Of misfortune and close calls comes the secret to out them all

_Underneath the Break_

_Prologue_

_Life is too short to worry about anything. You had better enjoy it because the next day promises nothing._

_Eric Davis_

* * *

 

               Peter looked at his CI in confusion. He’d been acting off for the past few days, ever since there was a spike in warfare from an alien race. He had ordered Neal to house arrest until the threat was over and had been surprised that he had listened, but now the man was on edge.

               He was worried about something that he clearly wasn’t able to solve. Either that, or he knew something that he wasn’t telling everyone. Peter wondered if it had to do with Kate and Neal not knowing where she was since that fight.

               “Neal, we have case,” Peter called making his CI flinch and stand up. Neal slowly made his way up to the conference room.

* * *

               “Matches Malone,” Peter said lying down the file. “He’s in town, and word is that he stole a priceless jade medallion from a traveling museum.” Neal looked at the file with wide eyes. This case was going to put him in back in jail, and he knew it.

               “Says he’s from Gotham? But his history doesn’t say he’s done anything like this before,” Jones commented. Peter was watching Neal carefully since the last time anything like this was stolen, he was on the fence.

               Anything with Jade made Neal get weird until they had it and checked it out and he seen it in real life.

               “So we get to track it?” Neal asked looking at Peter. This was too close, and he was afraid that Bruce was doing this on purpose. Telling him his time was up here and that he was needed back in Gotham.

               Of course it might have something to do with the fact that for the past two weeks, Damian had been crashing on his couch without anyone noticing.

               “Word is that he’s playing in an underground poker ring with a family from here. He likes to get to know the mob families apparently and get in their good graces before starting up his businesses here,” Peter said as they pulled up a picture of Malone in a yellow suit. Neal cringed a little knowing that he was the one who took that picture for Gordon.

               He hated living his double and sometimes triple life sometimes, but he was sure this was Bruce’s way of telling him to finish his mission and get home.  That he was gone too long.

               Well, he still had to find Kate. He wasn’t going to leave her to whoever had gotten a hold of her. He needed to finish this, and he knew that they wanted something that he had apparently stolen.

               Which would be a major problem since a lot of what he really took had either magical value or was kryptonite, and it was all turned into the Justice League for safe keeping. There were even artifacts that they believed could be used against the League at any given time.

               “Alright, so how do you plan on getting me close?” Neal asked resting on the table. “Cause I’m clearly not mob family.”

               “Nick Halden has a gambling problem, figured you can get in and get information that way,” Peter smiled as he pulled up more info. “Malone is good in a game of poker, think you can beat him? Get his attention.” Neal scoffed. He would be getting his attention the moment he entered that room.

               “Of course,” Neal said completely confidant. He knew Bruce’s tells well enough he could probably get by a few games, but he was aware of the fact that Bruce could read him like a book too. Peter’s eyes narrowed and Neal remembered that Peter also could read him. This wasn’t going to go well.

               “Neal, could you stay?” Peter asked as everyone started to leave the room. Neal sighed and leaned back in his chair. Once everyone was gone, Peter turned to Neal and looked him up and down. “We need this win, and I need you at the top of your game.”

               “Nick Halden isn’t going to work for this,” Neal whispered as he sat straight up. Peter narrowed his eyes even sharper.

               “Why not?” he asked seeing a look that he did not like in Neal’s eyes. This was different than the playfulness that was always there. This was darker, and a lot more dangerous. The kind of look that he had never even thought could come from his CI. “Malone doesn’t know you, and this is the first time he’s been in New York as far as we know.”

               “Gotham…I avoided Gotham for a reason. That city brings out the true nature in people,” Neal explained. He knew it did. That’s how Batman came to be. “No matter how well you try to hide it.”

               That’s the city that made him who he was even if he didn’t plan on telling Peter that right at the moment.

               “Really?” Peter asked as he sat down. “You don’t think I know you’ve been there?” Neal looked at him sharply. If the FBI knew, then he was going to burn it all now. He wasn’t going to throw B under the bus.

               “When could you have tracked me there?” Neal asked, and Peter felt unsettled by the accusation in his CI’s voice. Something was up, and whatever it was, Gotham was the center.

               “We didn’t, your face now shows that you’ve been there,” Peter said. “Have you met Malone before?”

               “Yes,” Neal answered. He needed to bleed the truth or Peter was going to know. Sometimes he hated how easy he could be read when caught off guard.

               “What alias did you use?” Peter asked a little sharper than normal. Neal knew he was treading on thin ice if he didn’t answer this well.

               “Neal Caffery,” Neal answered. Bruce knew about the different identities and would play the game with him, but Neal needed him to know that he got the message and send one of his own.

               “Then you get to go in as Neal Caffery,” Peter said with a slight glare. Neal nodded before standing up. “We’re going to lunch.” Neal sighed before taking out his phone, and not the one the FBI could trace and sent a message.

               He needed them to know what was coming.

* * *

               Peter watched as Neal checked his phone, and it was one that he didn’t recognize at the moment. He knew that Neal carried two phones, but this was the one that he never used. Ever. Neal never took it out, but Peter knew it was there.

               It was a slick black phone with a blue V design on the back. Peter needed to know the number so the FBI could track it, but he didn’t even know what brand it was. He was worried when Neal slipped it back in his pocket with a disarming smile on his face.

               The same smile he wore when he was hiding something. Peter was going to figure it out eventually, but for now he would study his CI and wait for him to slip up.

* * *

               “Did you get anything, Jones?” Peter asked as they watched Neal enter the bar where he was to meet Malone.

               “No, it’s like that phone doesn’t have a signal. I couldn’t find anything. No towers, no nothing,” Jones said looking at Peter. “Whatever that phone is, it’s not normal. Do you think he’s planning something?”

               “Neal’s always planning something.” Peter looked at the camera as a man in a bright blue suit with big sunglasses and a huge moustache walked up to Neal and threw an arm around him. “That’s Malone.”

               _“Neal Caffery, as I live and breathe.”_ Peter knew that accent well. It was a nice soothing tone and it disarmed people. Much like the way Neal worked and Peter wondered if Neal knew Malone better than he let on.

               _“Yeah, Matches, it’s good to see you. It’s been a while.”_ Neal came off a little odd, and Peter realized that he was having a secret conversation in what they were saying.

               _“Did you get my message?”_ Peter knew suddenly that something was very wrong.

               _“What message?”_ Neal asked confused, and Peter was ready to go in and get him.

               _“You put out feelers for your girl, Kate? I had something that I thought you might find interesting.”_ Peter pulled his headphones off and started to head out when Jones stopped him. _“I think she’s playing you.”_

 _“What makes you think that?”_ Neal asked and Peter could hear the warning, but Malone continued.

               _“Something’s wrong about the way she vanished, almost like she knew the game you would play. You were always a sap for a pretty girl, if you remember Babs.”_ Peter watched the screens carefully waiting for Neal to either break away or continue. They had known each other well. Much better than Neal let on, and Peter was going to have words with him later about not telling them everything he knew.

               _“I remember.”_ Peter had the sudden feeling that they missed an entire conversation and were only listening to part of it. _“She was a firecracker, but it’s not the same, is it?”_

 _“I think she’s doing this willing.”_ Suddenly Peter had a sinking feeling that Malone knew about them. _“Tell your new friends I said hi.”_ They could hear Neal sigh as Malone walked away.

               “Damn, Neal blew it,” Jones whispered knowing that Neal’s freedom could be on the line for this one. Peter rubbed his nose as they waited for Neal to get back to van.

* * *

               Neal opened the door and hopped in and sat down next to them and waited. He knew he was screwed, but that conversation was something he was not expecting. B knew about Kate, and had more information on her. Which meant that this wasn’t a warning for him to burn Caffery, but to know that he might have to finish this as Nightwing.

               “Well, that was a bust,” Neal muttered looking away. Peter glared at him.

               “You know him well. Why didn’t you say anything?” Peter asked sharply. Neal flinched slightly.

               “You don’t mess with people from Gotham without get bitten,” Neal said looking at the one guy he would consider telling the truth to if he had to. “Gotham’s a black hole that sucks you in and tears you apart.”

               “I know the stories,” Peter growled before motioning for Jones to get them out. “This conversation isn’t over.” Neal nodded before taking out the phone that Peter couldn’t figure out.

               “If you’re going to ask, ask,” Neal said as he put it away.

               “You have two phones, but only one of them we have access to. You’re not supposed to have another,” Peter said as he looked at Neal closely. Neal was closed off, and it wasn’t from just him hiding something.

               He was protecting something or someone. Peter just hoped it wasn’t Kate because he knew that would lead Neal back to prison.

               “Then track it,” Neal said as he pulled out the one they knew about. Peter could see the slight challenging smile on Neal’s face. Neal knew that they couldn’t track it which made Peter decide that he was going to have to get it.

               “We will.” Neal’s smile stayed, and Peter wondered if it wasn’t something to do with a darkness that has been following Neal since the thing with Fowler arresting him.

* * *

               “Okay, I’m at a dead end,” Mozzie said as he laid down all the files he had. “Fowler clearly has Kate, but…”

               “I know,” Neal said as he watched outside. He needed Mozzie to leave so Robin could come in. He missed his brother, and Robin should have the information that Bruce had found in regards to Kate. Neal knew that his mentor would not let anything bad happen to him or her unless she was playing him, and he wouldn’t give him false information.

               So if Bruce thought that Kate might be working against him, then he was going to take that into consideration. Mozzie leaned against the table and looked out where Neal was looking but didn’t see anything.

               “You alright?” Mozzie asked and Neal knew that concern was real. Neal turned to the one man who believed that Neal had never lied to him.

               “If you found out that I lied to you about something big, what would you do?” Neal asked as he poured a glass of wine. Mozzie looked him up and down.

               “Depends on what it was I guess,” Mozzie said as he watched his friend who was staring at his glass. “Why? Do you have a lead on Kate?” Neal nodded a little before he started glaring at his glass.

               “Sorta,” Neal mumbled. “Might be nothing if they don’t deliver.” Mozzie shrugged before grabbing a glass himself. Neal glared at him. “You have your own place with your own wine.” Mozzie opened his mouth to argue but then stopped seeing how much Neal looked like he wanted him to leave. Mozzie grabbed the bottle and stood up.

               “I’m taking this,” Mozzie said as he walked out the door. Neal took in a breath before laying his head on the table.

               “I thought he would never leave,” Robin said as he leaned against the door of the balcony. Neal looked up at him with a smile.

               “Me too, I think he’s jealous,” Neal laughed as Robin walked in and sat down next to him before setting out the file. “B give this to you?” Neal knew he had to keep the conversation as vague as possible just in case his place was bugged.

               “Yes, and I’m with him on the Kate thing. I do believe she is using you to get something that you may or may not have stolen,” Robin said as he set out a file on her. Neal looked it over before looking to his brother.

               “B doesn’t have more?” he asked hoping that there might be something. “I knew that the guy wanted something I had taken, but I’ve taken a lot of things.”

               “And for the better,” Robin mumbled as he searched though the file. “But there are also things that you’re accused of that you didn’t do.”

               “I know, but we needed that information to get what we needed at the time,” Neal said as he looked over it again on what the underworld believed he had taken along with a list of things that he had actually taken. Robin pointed out another list.

               “This is a list I believe might be targeted based on what the object is and how much it’s worth,” Robin explained as he sorted it though. Neal smiled.

               “Glad B makes us keep such great notes,” he laughed as he looked it over. “Are you staying here tonight again?” Robin looked at him with a small smile.

               “If it’s not too much trouble, I do believe that Father is trying to get me to come home, but it’s summer, so no school to worry about. I missed you,” Robin said as he watched his favorite brother. The one who never gave up on him no matter how difficult he was being, and he was going to have his back no matter what.

               “Well, Malone is in town, so I guess its okay,” Neal smiled as Robin leaned over the table. “Let’s see if we can’t bump heads on this then.”

* * *

               “You look like crap,” Peter commented as he walked into Neal’s apartment. Neal tensed slightly before relaxing and turning to Peter with a small glare. Damian was still in the bathroom, and he was keeping himself quiet until they left. Then he would leave for the hotel that he was supposed to be staying in with his father.

               “Thanks, Peter,” Neal said as straighten his jacket out. “Are we going?”

               “Yeah, we might have found something on Malone,” Peter smiled watching for Neal’s reaction. Neal just stared at him like he had gone crazy. There was no way that the FBI could even find anything on him since Batman knew everything.

               “Sounds interesting.”

* * *

               “He’s running guns from Gotham to New York?” Jones said as Peter pulled up the file on the computer with a picture of Malone’s guys unloading cargo. Neal narrowed his eyes. B wouldn’t mess up like that, and Malone didn’t run guns. He often let people believe that as he helped people run from abusive relationships or looking for a better home. He also used the port to get food and supplies to the homeless as well without the red tape that he had with as Bruce Wayne.

               “Are you sure that’s what’s inside?” Neal asked watching it carefully. This looked more like a supply shipment of food and supplies.

               “Yep, one of the guys we talked to said that he’s running guns. It’s not our normal case, and I know you hate guns, but they also said that they were running stolen paintings too,” Peter said as he pulled though the file. Neal watched it carefully. This wasn’t going to end well.

* * *

* * *

 

 

Underneath the Break

_Chapter One_

_The Box_

_Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans._

_Peter Drucker_

* * *

               “This is pointless,” Neal muttered as he sat in the van with Jones. They were watching the hotel where Malone was staying. Malone was outside watching the van with a slight smirk. Neal could see two shadows in the background. One was Red Robin and the other was Hood. He wondered which of the girls got stuck protecting Gotham while the boys played in New York and messed with the FBI.

               “You don’t want us investigating your friend,” Peter said looking at his friend. Neal had been in the middle before, but this was slightly different.

               “No, I don’t,” Neal said as Jones put on his headphones and watched the monitor. “Malone does a lot of good even if it’s not always legal.”

               “So you think the good he does is good enough to overlook the bad?” Peter asked watching Neal closely who gave a small smile.

               “People from Gotham are more than they appear.”

               “You know something about him that you’re not telling me,” Peter accused watching his CI. Neal looked up at him before pulling out the phone that had been driving Peter nuts.

               “Secrets are a thing that keeps the world from exploding,” Neal smiled as he typed out a message. “Besides, the FBI is not the only people watching this building.” Peter looked at the screen where Jones was pointing to a man in a red mask.

               “What the hell?” Jones said staring at it. “Aren’t they…”

               “From Gotham,” Neal injected with a smile. “Told ya, I don’t like messing with people from Gotham.” Peter glared at him.

* * *

               _A music box?_

_Seems possible, but I didn’t actually take that._

_Yeah, clearly, but it does hold a bit of mystery._

_Alright, anything else that they could want?_

_I think Kate wants everything you’ve ever stolen which is why she won’t tell what it is._

_Yeah, B is thinking the same._

* * *

               Peter looked over the shoulder of his CI at the phone. Neal turned slightly as he turned it off and looked at Peter.

               “Can I help you?” Neal asked looking up at Peter.

               “Who were you texting?” Peter asked. Neal looked down before looking at the screen.

               “My little brother,” Neal answered making both Jones and Peter look at him in confusion. “What, you guys know nothing about me before my eighteenth birthday? Sorta the point.”

               “What’s his name?” Peter asked knowing that this was information that they wouldn’t be finding in Neal’s files or anywhere else.

               “Dames,” Neal answered with a smile. Peter knew he wasn’t telling the whole truth about that. “He’s a little odd, but he’s a good kid. He has a good heart.”

               “How old is he?” Peter asked as Neal watched Red Hood jump down an ally.

               “Fifteen, but he acts a lot older. Smartest person I know,” Neal said with a fond smile, and Peter knew that Neal loved this kid. Peter also kinda wanted to meet the kid. Someone that knew Neal before all this happened. Before he became a criminal.

               “He never visited you in prison,” Peter said. “I’m surprised he still keeps in touch now that you’re out.”

               “No, he didn’t,” Neal said. Peter looked at him and knew that there was something more that he wasn’t telling. Something was wrong. Jones looked at Neal again who still had a secret smile. Almost like Neal had seen him while he was prison just no one knew.

* * *

               “Hughes looks mad,” Neal commented as they walked in the next morning. OPR was still around, but they had finally left the White Collar division alone for now after Neal’s arrest. Peter nodded as their boss pointed at them both to come up.

               They headed up and Neal looked around for anything to give him a clue about what was going on.

               “Organized Crime wants this case,” Hughes said looking at the two. “They’ve given pretty good reasons since they listened to the recordings.” Neal paled a little. He wasn’t worried about what was said, but what wasn’t said. That conversation could lead down a dangerous road, and that was something that was needed to stay buried. They’ll have to take care of that once the case went cold, for now all he could hope for was that they wouldn’t find any connection between him and the Bat.

               “Caffery, how do you know Malone?” Hughes asked with narrowed eyes. Neal looked at the two before him. Both were good agents, and there definitely needed to be more of them, but he couldn’t let him know how he knew the guy.

               “He helped me outta a jam once,” Neal started looking down. “I owe him my life.”

               After all the best lies were weaved in truth.

               “So there’s a conflict of interest,” Hughes said staring at Caffery. “Did you tell him anything about the investigation?”

               “No,” Neal said looking at Hughes. Peter knew he was lying, but Peter wouldn’t call him out just yet. “There’s no reason to. If he made a mistake, then he can pay for it, but I don’t want to be the one who helps put him away. I owe him a lot.”

               “Then the case is going to organized crime,” Hughes said as Peter opened his mouth. “Don’t argue.” Neal knew he was in trouble when they got into Peter’s office.

* * *

               “You’re mad,” Neal whispered looking at the ground. Peter was sitting at his desk silently glaring at Neal. It sorta bothered him the same way Bruce’s glare would bother him when he did something stupid.

               “Since we started looking at Malone, you’ve been acting weird. So are you going to tell me the truth or am I going to have to find it?” Peter asked sharply making Neal flinch. The truth was so complicated and annoying. “Is it about who has Kate? Did Malone get a name?”

               “He has an idea that it’s someone in the FBI,” Neal said quietly. He left out that Malone knew it was Fowler and that the man had dark secrets involving his wife. B was still digging into it, but he had a feeling that there might be blackmail, and that there was someone else pulling the strings.

               “So you blew our chance at getting him for Kate?” Peter asked and Neal knew that was the wrong thing to say. Neal narrowed his eyes a little at Peter for a moment.

               “One, the guy saved my life. Two, I’ve known him far longer than I ever have Kate,” Neal said warningly. Bruce may have been a lot of things, but he wasn’t a bad person. “Are you telling me you wouldn’t let things play out without inferring much to the guy who saved your life?”

               “Alright, fine,” Peter said. “Tell me how he saved your life.” Neal gave Peter a small smile.

               “I grew up in Gotham,” Neal said making Peter blanch a little. Gotham was never good news, but it did explain some of Neal’s earlier statements regarding the city. “Someone did something, and I wanted to kill them. Malone stopped me from making that mistake. Is that good enough for you?”

               “Yeah,” Peter whispered looking at CI with new respect and new knowledge. Gotham was not a nice city. He knew that, and now he understood why Neal didn’t want anything to do with the city and her people.

               Gotham always showed the truth in people.

               “Great, is there another case to work on or can I go home?” Neal asked as he stood up. Peter shooed him out of his office and then tapped on his computer to go though the Malone file. He wanted to find out who Neal was before he became the man he was today. There had to be a slip somewhere.

* * *

               “Peter’s getting close,” Dick said as he walked into Wayne Enterprises in New York. “I’m getting a little worried that it might get blown before we can find out who started this mess.”

               “Well, you said you’d trust him to keep the secret,” Damian said as they headed for the elevator. Dick nodded and clicked the code to go all the way down to the Cave level. “Are you concerned with how Father will act?”

               “Honestly don’t care about what B thinks,” Dick said as he leaned against the wall. Damian looked up at him.

               “Father trusts Gordon, but not the same way you trust your FBI friend. It would be helpful to have more than just a few good cops working alongside us, correct? Especially one with such a high ranking in the federal system?” Damian queried making Dick smile.

               “Yeah, it would. They would also give us access to certain things that we normally would have to hack,” Dick reasoned as his phone started ringing. “Speaking. Hello, Peter.”

               _“Where are you?”_

“You know where I am,” Dick answered looking at Damian with a questioning expression. The tracking data should show him across the street at the deli.

               _“Why are you hanging out outside Wayne Enterprises?”_

“The Deli makes amazing sandwiches.”

               _“You’re not at the Deli. If you were, you would see me.”_

               “What?” Dick asked in shock as he pulled out his other phone and pulled up the security camera for the front of the building. “Did you follow me?”

               _“What are you planning, Neal?”_

“Nothing,” Dick answered glaring at his brother who was trying not to laugh.

               _“You have two minutes to meet me.”_

“Peter…”

               _“Starting now, or I’m putting you back prison.”_ Peter hung up and Dick slammed his fist into the wall.

               “I’ll go with you,” Damian said as Dick hit the button to go back up. “You said that they knew you had a brother.”

               “Yeah, but…fine. But I told them your name was Dames,” Dick said. “Don’t tell them your real name.”

               “Clearly. Neal Caffery isn’t supposed to have siblings, but Grayson does,” Damian smiled at him. “Besides, I’m working on a college class and I could ask to interview one of them for extra credit.”

               “I’m sure Peter would jump on that,” Dick smiled. There was only so much he could deal with at one time. Damian was not helping matters at the moment. Dick blamed himself for that one.

* * *

               “Good, I was…who is this?” Peter asked as Neal and a kid walked into the Deli and sat down in the booth across from him.

               “This is my brother, Dames,” Neal introduced. Dames gave a small smile before pulling out a file.

               “I’m working on interviews and was wondering if you would be willing to be my subject?” Dames asked as he pulled out a sheet of questions. “I was told to find people with different perspectives and ask how they would react to certain situations.” Neal wondered if his brother hadn’t just lied to him about the college class. This was way too convenient for his liking.

               “Is this for school or…” Neal trailed off as Dames gave him a small grin. The little brat was getting better at fooling people around him.

               “You don’t even know who I am,” Peter said a little confused with how confident the child was.

               “Agent Peter Burke with the FBI. You lead the White Collar division and have an exemplary record for catching and tracking down white collar criminals,” Dames said with a small smile. Neal snorted as he tried not to laugh at the shocked look on Peter’s face.

               “How’d you…” Peter started before looking at Neal. “You told him.”

               “Come on, Peter. I told you, he’s the smartest person I know,” Neal smiled making the kid next to him beam brightly at the compliment. “What did you want anyway? You usually leave me alone after a busted case.”

               “We always have a backlog of cases, but this one just popped up,” Peter said as he pulled a FBI file from his coat. “It’s a boiler room. Another agent was at the office today wondering if we had anyone who could help.”

               “And my name came up,” Neal said as he side eyed his brother. “Don’t say a word, Little D.”

               “Tt.”

               “Little D?” Peter asked. Neal never really gave shorter nicknames to anyone, but this was his brother.

               “He insists on annoying all of us with odd little nicknames,” Dames said with a small glare.

               “All of us?” Peter asked causing a wicked grin to appear on Dames’s face.

               “Oh yeah, he’s the oldest of four,” Dames answered making Neal turn a glare to him. “Don’t let him fool you, he’s not the brightest but he is the most loyal.”

               “Thanks, Dames,” Neal muttered as he pouted lightly. Peter’s eyes were wide.

               “You have three brothers?” Peter asked realizing now that a lot could be explained about Neal’s personality with having been raised with three brothers.

               “Jay’s staying in town too,” Dames said making Neal tense. Peter was on edge with that.

               “I thought he didn’t like to leave,” Neal whispered leaving out the rest of that sentence.

               “He likes making you uncomfortable after you faked your death the first time,” Dames said making Neal sigh heavily. Dames only smiled innocently, and Peter realized that there was a lot going unsaid in that conversation.

               “You faked your death?” Peter asked deciding that was probably a safer topic. And one that they might slip up if Neal’s real name would pop up.

               “There was a whole thing,” Neal said as he smiled and opened the FBI file. “A boiler room? You think I can handle this?”

               “You could sell light switches to the Amish.”

* * *

               “So, Neal never told me he had a brother,” Peter said as they stopped at Neal’s apartment. Dames looked up at him with a wicked smile.

               “Of course not, Neal Caffery isn’t supposed to have brothers or sisters,” Dames said as he leaned back on the couch. Neal had told him that he was considering telling Peter the truth in order to gain his trust, so Dames was really just helping it along.

               “He has sisters now too?” Peter asked shocked again.

               “Adopted. I’m the only blood son,” Dames said as he pulled out his phone. It was very similar to Neal’s phones that Peter was trying to track; the only difference was a red circle on the back. “They all came together and created a family of their own.”

               “That’s…that sounds like something Neal would do,” Peter said not sure what to think about what he heard. Clearly someone was missing, but he was too out of it with all this new information to think about it much.

               “The rest of the family was not too happy with me when I first came…” Dames trailed off before looking into Peter’s eyes. “I was not a good person back then.”

               “You’re fifteen,” Peter said. How could someone so young think that they weren’t a good person when they met their family?

               “It doesn’t matter. He was the first one who seemed to really see the good in me at first,” Dames said looking down at his phone again. “The rest wanted nothing to do with me. After he…faked his death we got closer. Sometimes we still try to kill each other. Jay shot at me a few days ago.”

               “He shot at you?” Peter asked in shock. Dames smiled slightly.

               “It was a rubber bullet.”

               “Dames, that’s not much better,” Peter said sternly concerned. _What kinda person can shrug that off and not seem to care? What’s wrong with Neal’s family?_

               “It is since Jay has actually shot me with a real bullet,” Neal interrupted making Peter turn to him. “Jay has…a lot of issues.”

               “I…I shouldn’t know more. This is way too much,” Peter mumbled looking at Dames with slight horror. He wanted to know about Neal’s past, but the more he learned, the more he sorta wished he didn’t. “How do you deal with that?”

               “My mother has done much worse,” Dames answered. Neal tensed and Peter knew that story was not one he wanted to know at the moment.

               “We have a case. Dames, are you staying here or what?” Neal asked as Dames looked up at his brother.

               “Are you coming back anytime soon?” Dames asked as he leaned forward on the couch.

               “Probably later tonight,” Neal said.          

               “I might explore New York a bit,” Dames said. Peter looked at the boy concerned.

               “By yourself?” Peter asked trying to get Neal to go with him in this. No one should explore New York alone.

               “I’ll make Jay come with then. He’s needs to get out,” Dames said with a smile that made Peter do a double take. It was just like Neal’s, and he honestly wondered if they were really related.

               “Do that,” Neal smiled as he headed for the door. “Peter, you coming?”

               “Yeah,” Peter mumbled not sure how to deal with Neal’s brother.

* * *

               “Are you sure that him spending time with someone who tried to shoot him is a good idea? Much less someone who has shot you?” Peter asked as he drove to the office. Neal looked at him with a small smile.

               “It’s actually a pretty interesting story. A sad one, but it was years ago,” Neal said with a touch of sadness in his voice. “I might tell to you sometime. But first, I do trust Jay with my life. He’s changed a lot since then. He wasn’t really trying to kill me at the time. He just wanted me out of the way so he could go after B.”

               “Who’s B?” Peter asked and Neal knew he slipped. Not much was given, but he had known that Peter was too overwhelmed with the info to realize that there was someone missing from their family dynamic.

               “That would be the man who brought us together,” Neal whispered looking at his lap. “He’s complicated.”

               “He’s like your father?” Peter asked. Neal smiled.

               “He tried to be. I was the first one he took in after my parents died. He wasn’t normal by any standards, but neither was I. I grew up in the circus,” Neal said making Peter swerve across the road making the car ding.

               “Can you drive and not kill us?” Neal asked holding on tightly. It was one thing in the Batmobile, but another in a Ford.

               “You were in the circus?” Peter asked as he stayed in his lane this time and watched the road waiting for Neal’s answer.

               “You think I’m just dramatic ‘cause I’m a theft? Please, I was dramatic the moment I was born,” Neal laughed making Peter relax. It was the same Neal, just had more info on how he came to be. Plus a lot more questions.

* * *

               “Alright so, we’re cutting your anklet for this,” Peter said as he pulled out a pen. He narrowed his eyes at the grin on Neal’s face. “You keep this pen on you at all times. It’s a tracker and recorder.”

               “Neat,” Neal whispered as he took it and looked it over. B’s was so much more advanced, but it came close to being as nearly as discrete as the card Tim made for the same thing. That kid was good, and when him and Damian put their differences aside and worked together, Dick feared they could take over the world. Sometimes he was glad they often avoided working together.

               “You good?” Peter asked watching his CI closely. After his meeting with Kate, he was worried about him. Neal looked up at him with a smile.

               “Yeah, I’m good,” Neal said. With Hood watching Fowler at his place and no sign of Kate, he was keeping good on his promise to not go poking.

               Fowler was gonna wish he never met the birds by the time Neal was done with him. He should have left the alias well enough alone.

* * *

               “Huh, he’s investigating Dick’s keeper,” Jason said as he leaned against the wall. Damian was next to him glaring at the monitor.

               “For what? Doing his job? I’ve meet him; he’s very similar to Gordon. I think if Grayson does tell him that he would be on our side,” Damian said as he adjusted some of the settings for a better picture. “It would be helpful to have an insider in the FBI.”

               “You’re only saying that because you like Dick,” Jason smiled making Damian turn to him with a glare.

               “He is my brother, and unlike you, can actually get people to like him,” Damian grinned making Jason sputter slightly at the comeback.

               “You’ve been spending way too much time with me, clearly,” Jason laughed. He kneeled down and looked at the hotel. “You think he’ll go after Burke’s wife too?”

               “I hope not. Otherwise we might need Red Robin to watch her. Father is still working on finding some of the kryptonite that was smuggled in, and that’s where he’s helping,” Damian informed as he noticed a laptop sitting on the table inside. “Think I can get that computer?”

               “Probably, but the real question is, should we?” Jason asked seeing what Damian was thinking. “I’m all for it.”

               “I’m going to steal it,” Damian decided as he stood up and looked around. “It’s way too bright here.”

               “Compared to days in Gotham, yes, but I think you can do this, my little assassin,” Jason grinned as Damian glared at him. He jumped down onto the next roof and looked around before getting an earpiece from his jacket.

               “Look out for me?” Damian asked making Jason nod as he put his earpiece in too. Damian jumped and grappled over careful to make sure that no one seen. He pulled up his hood and walked across the roof to the access point on the roof.

               _“I don’t see any feds and it appears to be that they might be in the office, but still, careful,”_ Jason’s voice came though making Damian nod before entering the building.

               “They’re key locks?” Damian asked as he walked down the hall and pulled out his lock picks. “Are you sure this is this easy?”

               _“No, but we aren’t in Gotham or dealing with crazy people…at least I don’t think they’re on that level of crazy.”_

               “They’re just corrupted Federal Agents. Nothing to worry about,” Damian muttered to himself. He could hear faint laughing coming from his earpiece and knew that Jason found that amusing.

               _“You at the door, Baby Bat?”_ Jason asked as Damian looked down the hallway and started picking it. He got it open in fifteen seconds and quietly slipped into the door. _“Good job, you’re still clear for…hold up, it looks like someone’s coming up the stairs.”_

“Fed?” Damian asked as he grabbed the laptop and stored it in his jacket.

               _“Maybe, they’re walking like one and they are in a suit, but that’s New York. Can’t tell if they’re armed yet.”_

“In the hallway?” Damian asked as he looked out the window where Jason was waiting.

               _“You’ve gone ten seconds till they are.”_ Damian quietly slipped out of the room and down the hall towards the stairs. He passed who he recognized as one of Fowler’s agents. He looked back with a small smile before shooting up the steps.

               “As long as they think I went down instead of up, I’m gone,” Damian grinned as he ran all to way back to the roof access and slipped though before shutting the door. He waved at Jason before looking down at the people on the streets.

               _“Dude looks pissed,”_ Jason said as he watched the guy go around the room looking for the laptop. _“Think they’ll blame Dick?”_

               “How? He’s undercover with the FBI right now. He has a perfect alibi. Plus, he doesn’t need to know what we did,” Damian said as he pulled out his grapple gun and grappled back across. He climbed back up with Jason.

               “Should we head to home away from home?” Jason asked as he pulled his earpiece. Damian grinned.

               “I think Tim would like a challenge.”

* * *

               “You stole a computer from the FBI?” Tim asked staring at the laptop Damian held out. Damian shrugged.

               “They’re the ones who started this mess. They didn’t want to be played with then they should keep to themselves and do their jobs correctly,” Damian informed smugly. Bruce turned in his chair and glared at his son.

               “Damian, that’s not how it works. You need to stop spending time with Jason,” Bruce said as he stood up. “But you do have a point. They shouldn’t have gotten Dick involved if they didn’t want a mess. Especially when you guys decide to work together. All I ask is that you don’t blow up New York.”

               “You’re letting us play with corrupted FBI agents?” Tim asked in shock. Bruce was still looking at Damian. He was still looking for the kryptonite shipment, but he could handle it without them and he could see this as a team building excise. Maybe he could get some peace from them if they all worked together to bring down corrupted agents.

               “Dick wants to start a relationship between us and that agent who holds on to Caffery’s leash. You’ve met him, what is your input?” Bruce asked. He wanted his sons to make their own choices, and while he wouldn’t have gone about it the way that Dick did, he was proud of them for their work.

               “He’s loyal, but knows when to play that hand and keep it back. He’s much like Gordon, except I do believe he would be more than willing to bend the rules if it saved lives. I do not believe he’s into hurting others, and that he would rather deal with white collar than that of the violent kind, but he would be helpful in the work you’re doing right now,” Damian said. “I wasn’t able to do a full interview, but he does care for Grayson greatly, and I do believe he trusts him.”

               “Even with him being a criminal?” Tim asked with a smile. “I mean, Caffery is a conman.”

               “Yes, but Grayson is a superhero, and you spend extended amounts of time with him,” Damian started only for Bruce to stop him.

               “You start to see what’s deep down in someone,” Bruce finished with a smile. He had done his own homework into Burke, and he was quite impressed with what he seen. The man was good. Its why he knew that he wouldn’t let anything happen to his sons.

               “So, what do we do?” Tim asked as he picked up the laptop. “Do you want me to?”

               “Of course, we don’t need a search warrant and I would love to see if they could even prove it was us in the first place. That should have the information on it to tell us what they want with Caffery to begin with. They did start this. We will finish it.”

* * *

               “Fowler does not look happy,” Neal whispered seeing the man talk with Hughes. Peter nodded looking at them in confusion.

               “I guess someone stole some information,” Peter said. “That’s what I understand. They wanted to blame you, but you were undercover in the boiler room at the time. Although I could ask if your brother would do something?” Peter narrowed his eyes when Neal smiled.

               “Dames would not leave a witness,” Neal said.

               “Even if he went by the guy?”

               “Dames can be scary when he wants to be. Trust me, I’ve seen grown men cry because of that kid,” Neal smiled at Peter. It was true; Damian could hit hard and he played dirty. He was Robin after all.

* * *

* * *

 

 

 

Underneath the Break

_The Place_

_A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way._

_John C. Maxwell_

* * *

               “Dames Caffery?” Jones asked looking at Peter in confusion. “Neal doesn’t have a brother. Not according to his file or anything?”

               “Yeah, Dames said something about Neal supposed to not have brothers,” Peter said as he looked over the information Jones had. “I don’t think Dames is his real name either. So chances are, Caffery isn’t either.”

               “You think Neal is just another alias?” Jones asked with wide eyes. This would make things so much more complicated with their CI.

               “Yeah, I do, but he let something slip,” Peter smiled. “He grew up in Gotham and was in a circus, start there see what you can find. Maybe there’s a family with four brothers and a lot of skeletons.”

               “Alright, I’ll see what I can dig up, but are you sure?” Jones asked as he wrote it down.

               “Yeah, Neal’s keeping his nose clean, so I want to make sure his family isn’t going to drag him back down that road again. He became a criminal for a reason, and I’m not entirely sure that they’re not that reason,” Peter said as he grabbed the file. Jones nodded before digging into Gotham archives.

               All he seen was stories about Batman and a circus called Hayley’s, but there were no names. And no family with four living brothers that matched what Peter was looking for.

* * *

               “Find anything?” Neal asked seeing Dames and Jay sitting in his living room. Neal’s eyes were dragged to his friend Mozzie who was glaring at the two from the table.

               “You never told me you had brothers,” Mozzie said with accusation in his voice. Neal could hear the hurt.

               “Adopted,” Neal said absently. “What did you two do, and should I be concerned?”

               “No one was killed in the making of our daring escape,” Jay grinned as Damian held up a laptop.

               “That’s why OPR was looking at me,” Neal sighed as he turned to Mozzie. “You didn’t have anything to do with this, right?”

               “I have no idea what they took, and the only thing they told me was that they were helping you with Fowler. I thought that was my job?” Mozzie asked seemingly hurt. “You could have told me at least.”

               “Trust me, Moz. These two are trouble,” Neal said as he sat down at the table and opened the laptop. “What is this?”

               “The reason we decided to show up,” Jay said. “Replacement managed to hack into it. Operation Mentor was the file that got flagged by B’s servers.”

               “So this is what brought me back,” Neal whispered making Mozzie look at him confused. Neal smiled at him. “Remember when I asked you what you would do if I was hiding a huge secret?”

               “Depends on what it is,” Mozzie said looking at his friend confused and suspicious. “What is it?”

               “I never spent my time in jail. Neal Caffery has always been an alias to get close to the underworld,” Neal said with a light smile. “We needed connections with non-violent criminals in the hope of tracking certain things.”

               “So you do work for a big boss,” Mozzie said as he grabbed a glass. “CIA? NSA? China?”

               “No,” Neal laughed as he looked at Dames. “Where’s the other bird?”

               “Currently tracking the kryptonite shipment into Gotham harbor,” Dames answered making Mozzie’s eyes widened.

               “You’re working with heroes?” Mozzie asked breathless.

               “Yeah, kinda have been since I was a kid,” Neal answered as he looked at Jay. “You got anything new?”

               “Gangs here are just like Gotham, gullible and afraid of a shadow with a bat and a gun,” Jay grinned as Mozzie stared at him.

               “Gotham?” Mozzie asked as he looked at his friend. “You’re not Batman.”

               “No, but I was trained by him,” Neal answered as he pulled out a batarang and slid it over to Mozzie. “I was the first.”

               “I was the second,” Jay cut in. “I died in case you were wondering.”

               “I highly doubt he cares,” Damian shot. “You’re not the only one.”

               “We should start a club,” Jay joked with a leer. Damian glared at him.

               “You…I…there are so many questions,” Mozzie whispered as he stared at the bat shaped weapon. Neal smiled.

               “Feel free to ask,” Neal said as his friend looked up at him. “But remember, this stays between us. No one else knows what I do in the nighttime hours, and I don’t think they need to.”

               “Wait…you can get out of your anklet whenever, can’t you?” Mozzie asked narrowing his eyes. Neal laughed.

               “Course, Caffery is nothing more than an active alias for me. I have to keep my lives separate, which is actually fairly easy compared to what I was doing before.”

               “You were the only honest cop in Blüdhaven,” Jay reminded. “Probably didn’t help that your partner figured you out.”

               “Anyway,” Neal stopped him. “You okay with that, Mozzie?”

               “I’m friends with a superhero?” Mozzie whispered as he pocketed the batarang. “If I have a problem?”

               “Jay’s volunteering,” Neal informed making Jay sputter before hitting Neal.

               “No, I’m not.”

* * *

               “Yes, this could work,” Peter said as he looked over what Jones found. “No names?”

               “Yeah, whoever took this kid in has to have connections,” Jones said as he flipped though the information. He only got to a story about a single child, but Peter did say that Neal was adopted. “But I bet its Neal. However, it’s the weird thing that happened after. My computer was hacked and this came up.” Jones showed a black screen with a blue bird on it. “I couldn’t find anything on this symbol at all.”

               “It looks like the one on Caffery’s phone,” Peter whispered. “Did you find anything else?”

               “After this showed up, I was blocked,” Jones said slightly frustrated. “I was locked out of everything involving Neal and Gotham.”

               “Someone doesn’t want us to dig. They’re protecting him, so who are they?” Peter asked as he looked over the symbol. “And what has Neal gotten himself into?”

* * *

               “There is a self eating virus, so Tim had some problems,” Damian said as he pulled up the files. “But the League had a program that would rewrite it to copy it instead.”

               “So we end up with a second copy instead of it deleting itself?” Dick asked as Damian scrolled though the information. “Nice, Baby Bat. Now what else have you got?”

               “There’s a name,” Damian said. “It’s from Caffery’s past when you were working before his arrest.”

               “Vincent Adler. Doesn’t the League know where he is?” Dick said looking at the name. “He’s the one looking for the music box. Okay, but hasn’t the League sent out information about his whereabouts?”

               “Yes, but they believe that someone in the FBI isn’t giving the information to the right people,” Damian said making Dick turn to him.

               “So B’s not happy?” Dick asked before he jumped when his door opened. Peter walked in with Jones. “Hey, Peter, what’s wrong?”

               “What is this?” Peter asked as Jones opened his computer to show the blue bird. “This popped up when Jones started looking into Malone again and into you.” Dick looked at Damian.

               “What the hell?” Dick asked crossing his arms. Damian shrugged.

               “Father works in odd ways, but I don’t know anything about this. Unless he figured something new out?” Damian said. Peter and Jones looked at the two them waiting for answers.

               “He gave us permission to mess with corrupted FBI agents as long as we didn’t destroy New York, at this point I highly doubt he’s going to let you keep this up much longer,” Jason cut in from the couch making the two agents turn to him.

               “Way to go,” Dick muttered before taking the laptop from Jones and typing in a password which released it. “Here, just don’t go digging around again. Batman isn’t going to let it go if you do.”

               “Batman?” Peter asked with wide eyes getting a grin from Dick.

               “Yes, aren’t you listening?” Dick said as he sat down in front of a government issued laptop. “Check it out. Fowler is looking for the music box.”

               “I knew that,” Peter said glaring at the computer. He knew Neal was behind that thing in the office, and he shouldn’t be surprised. Now the tension was high, and he was on guard.

               “You didn’t tell me?” Dick asked sharply. Damian glared at the agent while Jason stood up from the couch.

               “I suggest, Agent Burke, you watch your next words carefully,” Jason warned. “FBI or not, birds tend to stick together.” Jones swallowed and took a step back. This was way out of his pay grade.

               “You’re the Bat’s Robins?” Jones asked quietly. Of course he liked superheroes with Batman being one of his favorites, but this was way closer than he ever thought he could get to them.

               “Yes, so you best tell me what exactly you mean by you already knew that,” Dick said crossing his arms and staring at Peter. “Or I’m leaving, and you will not find me.”

               “I talked to Kate,” Peter said quietly. “I found her, and talked to her.”

               “We already knew where she was, old news,” Jason added as he pulled out a gun and stripped it. Jones tensed when he seen it. He didn’t think any of the birds used guns, but he also was not an expert on it. They were a questionable group and not everyone knew who did what.

               “You talked to her,” Dick said watching Peter closely.

               “I was trying to help you,” Peter said looking around the room. He was not prepared for the sudden threat around the room. Or the information about Neal being in contact with superheroes. “I wanted her to leave you alone. Although now, I’m not as sure about all this as I thought I was.”

               “You’re in a room with a guy who I believe has no spine, literally,” Jason said with a wicked smile. “A dead kid who nearly tore Gotham to shreds, and an ex-assassin. Believe me, you’ll never be sure about anything ever again.”

               “You’re an ex-assassin?” Jones asked looking at Dick who smiled before pointing to Damian.

               “That would be him. Don’t be fooled by his age,” Dick stated. “I’m the acrobat.”

               “Which leaves you as the dead kid,” Peter said turning to Jason who waved his gun.

               “Don’t worry, they’re rubber. B won’t let me use real one outside of Gotham,” Jason said trying to comfort the nervous agents. “Although he doesn’t want me to use them at all.”

               “Alright, back to the case at hand. Fowler is working for Vincent Adler. The Justice League has known about his whereabouts for a while, but like Jason pointed out earlier, B is letting us play with corrupted agents. Wanna help or not?” Dick asked watching them carefully. Peter looked down at the ground while Jones looked at Damian nervously.

               “Why did you let yourself get arrested then?” Peter asked now knowing that something was wrong. Dick looked over to his brothers.

               “The first time…B died,” Dick said looking at Peter. “I didn’t want to burn Caffery yet cause of the usefulness. But I couldn’t keep him going and be Batman.” Jones looked at Caffery with wide eyes while it took a moment for Peter to remember how to breathe. “For a year, I was Batman.”

               “Till Replacement managed to find him lost in the time stream. Which I might add is the most dramatic of us all. And I was murdered by Joker,” Jason cut in with a smile.

               “Alright, you’re banned from joking about your death,” Dick warned making Jason laugh again. Damian sighed before clicking on the laptop that he had stolen. “We’ve been looking into leaks in the FBI. Which is why we haven’t been too forth coming with information.”

               “The Justice League,” Peter said nodding his head. “That blue bird is a hero symbol then.” Dick laughed.

               “Mine,” he smiled as he pulled out a batarang. “Now I have a very important question, Peter.”

               “What don’t tell anyone that my CI is really a superhero?” Peter said still not believing this. There was no way that Neal was a hero, but seeing him now. He wasn’t conning, and he was acting different. He was dangerous, and Peter knew that was something was different. He had never really felt threatened by Neal before.

               And now he was.

               “Well, that would be nice. But more along the lines of being our trusted confidant for tips and trades. You managed to successfully track a bird across the world while only being a few steps behind,” Dick explained with a smile. “When this operation was flagged, B got concerned. I was sent to investigate your team to see where the leak came from.”

               “Right, and what exactly did they find?” Peter asked feeling betrayed. Dick flashed him a smile.

               “That you had a great team that’s willing to have your back no matter what. We needed someone in the FBI we could trust, and I was sent to find them,” Dick said. Peter shook his head as he paced before stopping at Jason.

               “Are you in the Justice League too?”

               “Hell no, I don’t wanna deal with those losers,” Jason grinned making Peter turn to the youngest in the room.

               “What about you?”

               “I will when I’m old enough to take up the mantle of Batman,” Damian informed as he pulled a blade from his sleeve. Peter blinked before turning to Dick.

               “I don’t want it. I worked hard to get out of B’s shadow.”

               “Alright, so corrupted agents? Where do we start?”

* * *

* * *

 


	2. Of Scars and Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny has reached an end, and now he's not sure how much he's got left to give a city that wants him gone.

Of Scars and Hearts

Prologue

_Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others._

_Rosa Parks_

* * *

 

               Phantom threw up a shield as Skulker fired at him. This was getting harder for him to keep it up. He felt like the world was crashing down. His grades were going down again and now Lancer was forcing him into afterschool sessions. His mother wanted him to start a job soon to get his own money since he kept asking.

               Any money he did get went to medical supplies for his hero gig, and he was wondering how other heroes did it without losing their jobs. He wondered if they were just rich with money to burn and were bored.

               He wouldn’t put that theory away since Vlad seemed to scheme his way to the top. Although he slowed down once everyone realized that Luthor was also playing the bad guy against Superman and the Justice League. He was still up to his old tricks of trying to kill his father, but at least he was playing it careful.

               Phantom winced when his shield gave in and he was sent into another building. A bright pink blast blew by him and hit Skulker sending him down. Phantom looked over and seen Valerie hovering with a smirk on her face from a direct hit.

               “Two against one doesn’t seem fair,” Skulker growled firing at the two of them before taking off. Phantom slowly pulled himself out of the wall and looked at Valerie wearily. She hasn’t really gone after him or ghost hunted since the thing with Dani and Vlad, but she did sometimes fly around on patrol.

               “Thanks?” Phantom said uncertainly. Valerie lowered down towards him and smiled at him.

               “You’re welcome. You look like shit though,” she said crossing her arms and glaring at him. “You look like you’re going to drop dead.”

               “Well, that would be interesting,” Phantom said gently floating next to her ready to take off if she decided to point the gun towards him. “It’s not like I’m not already dead.”

               “I’ve got tonight,” Valerie offered gently taking her hand to rest on Phantom’s shoulder. Phantom tensed and went to float away. “Go home or wherever you go, and get some rest. I’ll take the patrol tonight.”

               “Why are you offering?” Phantom asked cautiously. This was new, and he was just so tired. Even if he did go home, he had a mountain of homework from Lancer. “What’s going on?”

               “I figure we could take turns. It would ease the pressure on you, and if anything big comes up, I’ll hunt you down for help, deal?” Valerie said offering her hand for a shake. Phantom took it with a small smile.

               “Thanks, and here,” Phantom handed her a small green ear piece. “So you don’t have to hunt me down.”

               “You trust me not to track it?” Valerie asked.

               “If you could, at least tell me how. We’ve tried and it hasn’t worked,” Phantom laughed before breaking into a coughing fit.

               “You alright?” Valerie asked concerned.

               “Yeah, just…been stretched thin lately, thanks for the night off,” Phantom said as he started to fly towards FentonWorks.

               He could have sworn that Valerie said Goodnight Fenton, but he wasn’t sure.

* * *

               “We just got a call about ghosts in Amity Park,” Superman said looking at Batman who was glaring at the screen.

               “Really? How bad is it?” Batman asked. He knew about Amity Park long before they found the Justice League, but Phantom had most of it contained and the problem under control. Batman had wanted to send someone at one time, or at the very least find the kid, but it was never a big enough problem for him to drop everything he had been working on at the time.

               Now though, they were seeing a couple slow days, and Batman knew he had the time now. He wanted to get a hold of Phantom before the rest of the League went only because he knew who the kid was.

               An impossibility mixed with a bunch of delicate situations that could end up getting him killed if he wasn’t careful. And Batman was going to protect Danny as much as possible since no one else seemed to be willing or able to. He knew that the kid was doing his best to protect Amity from the ghosts.

               “They said there was a single ghost that had been plaguing them for some time now, and it’s gotten worse. They said they keep seeing him and more often,” Superman explained as he pulled up the files that the league had so far. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make Batman plan ahead to find the kid.

               “Interesting, but not really a priority,” Batman said flatly as he read through the Guys in White files that were sent. They painted Phantom in a very bad light. Batman looked up at Superman when the Man of Steel sent him a glare.

               “We don’t have much else to do, and if it’s been a consistent problem, then maybe we should help before it gets too out of hand,” Superman suggested looking at Batman wondering why he wasn’t jumping on board with this. Batman narrowed his eyes. It would be a good opportunity to find Phantom, but he didn’t want Superman and the others going after the young hybrid just yet.

               “I’ll look at it, for now, you’re needed in Metropolis,” Batman informed as he pulled up a bank robbery in progress. Superman nodded to him before taking off. Batman looked at the article on the screen about the Phantom menace that was in Amity Park and knew that Superman was right.

               It was only a matter of time before there was something that came through that Phantom couldn’t stop.

* * *

               Danny woke up to his alarms blaring and he slammed his hand down on it. He looked at the time before groaning. It was Saturday and he set his alarm for school anyway last night.  He sighed and turned it off and laid in bed for a few more minutes. At least it was the weekend, and now that he and Valerie were working a schedule for ghost patrol, he wasn’t as stressed and was able to get his homework done more often.

               Danny slowly sat up and stared out his window. Today his mother wanted him to apply for a job at the Nasty Burger, and he was not looking forward to it. He knew he would be fired, just like Valerie had been after too many days missed.

               Ghost hunting was not a good paying job. Although he had a feeling that Vlad had been paying her before Dani’s capture, now she probably wasn’t. Danny wondered if they were still short on funds or if her dad got a raise.

               Maybe he would ask next time they crossed paths. Either as Phantom or Fenton.

               “Danny, let’s get going!” Maddie yelled from down stairs. Danny winced. All he wanted to do today was lay in bed and just chill. It’d been forever since he was able to really relax, and now he was being yelled at again.

               “I’m coming,” Danny called back laying back down and groaning. He was not looking forward to today.

* * *

               Bruce smiled at the other guests as he welcomed them. It was a charity fundraiser for Casper High students. He had pulled a few strings and seen that it was sponsored by the mayor.

               Which surprised Bruce a little since the man seemed to only care about himself and not the people of Amity Park, it was odd. Bruce knew that the man was hiding something dark, but he had no proof that the man had done anything wrong to begin with. Just his gut feeling, and he knew that there was something fishy about the mayor.

               One thing was for certain, he was definitely not a Phantom fan. Not if he was the one that called in the League to get rid of him. So now Bruce needed to investigate, and the only way to do that without suspicious from either the league or Masters was to come as Bruce Wayne.

               He leaned against the punch bowl and watched as Masters put on a fake smile and greeted his guests. It was the first time the man really did something like this and it was obvious. Painfully so.

               Bruce listened closely when a man in a white suit walked up to Masters. He narrowed his eyes when he heard the name Phantom and Justice League in the same sentence.

               “Yeah, Superman said him and Wonderwoman will be here tonight to help us,” the man informed Masters making Bruce grit his teeth. He told Superman to wait a little. He only needed a few days, and now he had to blow his cover tonight and go find Danny first.

               There was one thing he had above them all, and that was the fact that he knew that Danny wasn’t just a ghost and his name was Danny Fenton.

               And that would be the thing that helps him find the kid first.

* * *

               Danny sighed as his mother glared at him. Of course he didn’t get the job, and now she was blaming him. They weren’t too happy to try to hire someone who had a problem staying in class currently and they didn’t want the reason to be the job.

               “You need to be more responsible, Danny. The real world is a hard place to be, and if you want to go to college, then you have to do something. You know you can’t go into the space program with low grades and skipping class,” Maddie growled tightening her grip on the steering wheel. “At this rate, you’ll be lucky to just be able to get a job.”

               “I’m seventeen, Mom. I still have time,” Danny grumbled. He knew he wasn’t irresponsible because then the town would probably have been destroyed by now, but he wasn’t going to tell his mother that.

               Or ever if he had anything to say about it.

               For the past year and half, his parents had been getting better, and he knew that if he wasn’t Phantom, then they would have caught him.

               They nearly did a month ago, and Danny wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth on why he was able to get away.

               “You’re almost eighteen, and if you think we are going to just let you live with us for the rest of your life, you have another thing coming,” Maddie informed sending him a sharp glare before turning back to the road. Danny leaned against the passenger side window.

               At the rate he was going, he wasn’t sure he would even make it to eighteen. One of these days, they were going to catch him, and he knew he wasn’t going to survive.

* * *

               Batman carefully lowered himself onto the top of the ridiculous roof of the FentonWorks. He took in a breath and heard from Superman that they were on the other side of town, and the only thing Batman hoped for was that the kid was still at home and not running patrol.

               Neither Superman nor Wonderwoman knew he was there, and he would prefer to keep it that way for the night. He slowly and carefully slid down to the fire escape that was against Danny’s window and slowly looked in. Danny was there and was unwrapping a bandage that was around his chest. Batman winced knowing those bruises had to hurt.

               He slowly slid the window open, and it didn’t make a noise, but Danny turned to him away sensing him.

               The kid had excellent hearing.

               “What are you doing here?” Danny demanded standing up quickly and glaring at Batman. Batman narrowed his eyes before climbing through the window.

               “Looking for you, Phantom,” Batman said standing straight up. He knew that there wasn’t a way for him to beat the kid without ghost weapons, and he hoped that without any obvious ones, the teenager would trust him. Danny just sighed and looked down before sitting back on his bed.

               “Figured you’d know. Now what are you going to do?” Danny asked looking at him from the corner of his eye.

               “Well, the Justice League is hunting you down, but I figured I’d get your side first,” Batman said as he walked closer and picked up the fresh bandages that Danny had laying on the bed. “Would you like some help?”

               “That would be nice,” Danny smiled at the Dark Knight. The bruises needed the support, and he had been dreading doing this all day. Batman carefully placed the end on the darkest purple before slowly wrapping it around.

               “Why’d the mayor call in the Justice League?” Batman asked as he carefully reached back around. He could feel the teen’s breathing and heart beating. He would know if the kid was lying.

               “Probably because the guy hates me for ruining all his evil plans,” Danny answered nervously. He had no idea how well this was going to go, but Batman clearly didn’t want to fight if he was helping him wrap his bruises. Batman did narrow his eyes. “The guy has the same powers I do. The only reason I didn’t tell anyone is because he threatened the same. You already know about me.”

               “He’s also part ghost then?” Batman asked making Danny stare at him confused.

               “How’d you even know?” Danny asked making the Dark Knight smirk lightly.

               “I have my ways,” he answered as he finished wrapping. “Why didn’t you try to get a hold of the League yourself?”

               “Too many what ifs and questions,” Danny sighed looking away from Batman. “I was afraid that no matter what I said, you guys would still come after me. Figured it was best to just delay that as much as possible.”

               “What makes you think we wouldn’t listen to your side?” Batman asked already having a feeling about the answer.

               “No one ever believes the ghost or the teenager,” Danny said looking at Batman. “They never do.”

* * *

               “This is supposed to track ghosts?” Superman asked looking at the tiny screen. Agent O smiled at him before showing him how it worked.

               “Yes, the little dot will appear wherever the ghost is, and this will point in the direction you are going. If the dot shows up red, that’s Phantom,” O explained handing another tracker to Diana. “He shouldn’t be underestimated. He’s tricky and will lie to get you to let him go.”

               “What kind of lies would he be telling?” Diana asked as she gently ran over her lasso. It would be helpful in knowing what exactly the ghost’s plan was, and she could get the truth with it.

               “He says he’s a hero, but he’s lying,” K said making both heroes turn to him. “He’s kidnapped the mayor, stolen money and jewels, and has done enough property damage that we nearly ended up shutting down the town. He needs to be stopped.”

               “He will be,” Superman promised.

* * *

* * *

 

 

Of Scars and Hearts

Chapter One

_Gasoline_

_You can’t wake up_

_This is not a dream_

_You’re part of a machine_

_You’re not really a human being_

_Hansley_

* * *

               Phantom narrowed his eyes as he watched Superman fly across the sky with some sort of tracker in his hand. Guys in White agents were following him, and Batman was standing behind the hybrid.

               “They’re tracking a ghost,” Batman said looking up at them. They were heading towards the park, which is where Phantom had sensed something. Batman wasn’t going to let Phantom go alone. He didn’t want Superman or Wonderwoman to fight the kid if he could help stop it.

               “Probably the same one I sensed. That tracker can’t actually track me though. I know, we stole one and seen it. It’s supposed to mark me specially, but there was a design flaw,” Phantom informed as he looked at the Dark Knight. “They’ll know the tracker is busted if I make a scene.”

               “Then we don’t make a scene,” Batman said as they headed towards the park staying in the shadows.

* * *

               “He looks like a teenager,” Wonderwoman said as they landed on the ground in the park. The ghost they tracked had yet to show, but she wasn’t going to go after a kid if he wasn’t really doing anything wrong.

               The Guys in White assured her multiple times that he did nothing but lie, but she wondered what would happen if he was truly telling the truth about it all.

               “Well, they did say he could be thousands of years old. Ghosts don’t age according to them,” Superman said as he looked around carefully using his x ray vision.

               “But he has,” she pointed out in a picture of Phantom in a jumpsuit up in the air. The next one she pulled out was of him now. He was taller and was now wearing a cloak and had armor on his suit.

               “They aren’t sure,” Superman sighed turning to her. He wanted answers too, but if they were afraid of this being, then something needed to be done. “Maybe he…” he was cut off by something growling nearby. “Let’s go.”

* * *

               Phantom felt the branch against his bruises as he was pinned to the tree. Batman threw a batarang at the ghost wolf, but it simply went through it. Phantom slammed his hand down and punched the top of the wolf’s head when it looked down at the device.

               “We can’t do this quietly,” Phantom growled shoving the disoriented dog off of him and pulling out his thermos only for a stream of red to melt the device into the ground. Phantom jumped back and let go of the hot ruined thermos. “Damnit.”

               “Got ya,” Superman smiled. Batman glared at him before slipping into the shadows hoping Phantom would just take off to.

               “No, you just let that continue to destroy things, and if the stupid thing gets to Amity, then people are going to die,” Phantom informed pointing at the ghost wolf who had just gotten back up and was growling lowly at Phantom before slowly stalking towards the hybrid. Phantom watched it wearily as both Superman and Wonderwoman looked between the two and wondered which was going to be the most dangerous.

               “Look, we just want to talk,” Wonderwoman said hoping to keep the situation from escalating.

               “He does not,” Phantom said as he jumped out of the way from the pounce. “You destroyed my thermos, and now I have nothing…”

               “Freeze, Ghost Punk,” Agent O screamed shooting at Phantom who dodged again. He felt the light sting of the ectoweapon and decided that they could deal with the wolf. They want to fight ghosts, then they could try and see how well that works out.

               “Fine, you guys deal with Fido, I’m out,” Phantom said growling and taking off. The wolf jumped at him again before turning around and growling at the agents who raised their weapons and fired.

* * *

               “That was close,” Batman said glaring at the agents horribly trying to keep the ghost away from the street. “They’re losing.”

               “I would have already had it captured and probably been back to bed by now,” Phantom said leaning against the cell tower they were on near a building.

               “Probably,” Batman sighed looking down. “Got anymore of those devices?”

               “At home, I have maybe three left? My dad hasn’t made anymore, and I’m not sure why,” Phantom said as he sat down. “I really don’t want to keep doing this.”

               “Being a hero, or running from your problems?” Batman asked turning to the kid. Phantom had powers that could put potentially put Superman down, and Batman did not want those powers being used for evil if he could help it. He should have done something sooner before letting it get this far.

               “Both,” Phantom sighed. “I don’t mind saving people, but it’s gotten me nothing but in trouble.”

               “That’s probably because no one wants to do actual research into ghosts and learn. They’d rather use what little they know to continue their hatred rather than learn more about them. You could change their minds. Start your own research,” Batman suggested. “Your parents would be happy you followed in their footsteps.”

               “They’d be disappointed that I wanted to do actual research than hunt,” Phantom countered with a sigh. “Although you have a point, I don’t have the funds to go to college or do anything really.”

               “I can help with that. When do you graduate?” Batman asked thinking about what he was willing to put at stake. The kid had trust issues himself, and Batman knew that he needed someone to back him up when things got tough. Phantom deserved a chance to prove himself at the very least.

               “I’m supposed to this year. I’m short a credit right now for English, but I’m taking an extra class to make it up,” Phantom said looking over at Batman with an odd expression. “What can you do to help?”

               “You’d be amazed,” Batman said cryptically making Phantom laugh lightly.

* * *

               “That took way too long,” Superman said as he and Wonderwoman patrolled the skies. The Guys in White lost the wolf after beating it, and now they had no trail and no way to know where either Phantom or the wolf had gone. “People seemed pretty upset at being woken up to move just in case.”

               “Did you hear the one tell us to get lost and leave Phantom alone when we asked about him?” Wonderwoman asked looking at Superman. “I don’t think we have the whole story.”

               “You’re getting that feeling too. Think that’s why Batman wanted to wait?” Superman sighed looking up at the sky. He did not want to tell Batman that they went ahead and decided to check out Amity, but it was looking like it was going to be the best way to handle it all.

               “He might know something that he didn’t share with us,” Diana suggested. “There are times where he holds back until the time is right.”

               “We jumped the gun then. This town is full of contradictions,” Superman sighed as they landed by the park again where they first spotted Phantom.

               The ruined thermos was gone.

* * *

               “That went well,” Phantom sighed as he changed back and laid on his bed. He looked up at his desk and noticed a small bat shaped device and some files. He got up and headed over carefully to make sure nothing was going to explode. He picked up the little device and the note stuck to it.

               _If you ever need help, press the button._

               Well, now he at least had some backup in case anything ever happened, and he wasn’t going to break the trust that was slowly building between the two of them. He wanted to continue to be a hero, and now, he just might get the chance. He looked at the file and noticed that it was an application for Gotham University.

               A full ride guaranteed if he graduated with at least a 3.75. Danny smiled. Things were looking up again, and if Batman had his back, then he wasn’t going to let the man down.

* * *

               “Phantom’s always been elusive,” Mayor Master explained looking at Superman. “I should have done something sooner, but the town sometimes falls under the impression that he is really saving them.”

               “Of course,” Superman said looking at the man. “Sometimes we don’t always see what’s in front of us until it’s too late.”

               “No, but I fear that if I let it go on any longer, then Phantom will attack, and we’ll be blindsided,” Masters said watching Wonderwoman with a small leer. “Although, I’m sure the Justice League will do whatever it takes to send that ghost back where he came from.”

               “We’ll do our best,” Superman assured as Wonderwoman picked up a picture frame.

               “Who are these people?” she asked seeing the mayor was trying to shove one of the men out of the picture.

               “They’re very good friends of mine,” Masters smiled at them. He didn’t need them to go digging into the Fentons just yet. It might blow the cover he was making at the moment. He needed them firm in the belief that Phantom was the bad guy. But he was going to take what he could get. This may have been his last resort in getting Daniel to his side, but it would be worth the gamble in the end. He was running out of time.

* * *

               “You guys went to Amity and didn’t tell me,” Batman said as Superman and Wonderwoman entered the control bay in the Watchtower.

               “Look, something is going on down there. Phantom is in middle of it, and the mayor believes that he is the center,” Superman defended himself. They had to do something.

               “There are too many questions there for us to interfere yet,” Batman informed glaring at the Man of Steel. Superman crossed his arms.

               “Something needs done. Those people are in danger.”

               “Did they act like they wanted your help?” Batman asked standing toe to toe with Superman. “Clark, those people believe Phantom is their hero, and what did you do when you met him?”

               “You were there, weren’t you?” Superman asked with a raised brow. “You were investigating.”

               “Of course I was. I wasn’t going to go in blind like you tend to,” Batman said sharply. “The only threat those people had yesterday was you guys. Phantom has Amity under control.”

               “You’ve talked to him,” Wonderwoman said watching Batman carefully. “You know more than you’re telling us.”

               “Phantom is a teenager,” Batman explained bringing up an article about him kidnapping the previous mayor. “Who would you believe? A ghost kid or the government?”

               “What if he is lying?” Diana asked looking down at her rope. “That’s a dangerous chance.”

               “How much good has he done?” Batman asked. “I mean really? He’s saved the town countless times and they still think badly of him.”

               “I want to talk him,” Superman said looking at Batman. He trusted his friend, but Masters warned him about ghost’s ability to overshadow and trick people.

               “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Batman said as he headed out. “Phantom is off limits, Clark. I don’t want the league going after him.”

               “Of course that’s what a ghost would want,” Superman mumbled under his breath watching his friend carefully. Diana looked between the two before following after Batman.

* * *

               “Bruce, wait,” Diana called as she ran up to him. “Can I at least meet him? I want to believe that the child is telling the truth as well, but we have to be certain.” She gently tapped her rope. Batman looked at it then back to her.

               “Phantom isn’t one to fight, I already know that. I trust him enough to know that he isn’t the one we should be worried about,” Batman said. The kid just wanted to do what was right, and the fact that his own parents were hunting him was enough for Bruce to know that Phantom was the one he should be trusting.

               No one in their right mind would think that a ghost is living in a ghost hunter’s house. He had a feeling that the kid wasn’t going to down without a fight no matter what.

               “Those men said that he uses tricks to get what he wants,” Diana said. “What if he is tricking you?”

               “Unlikely,” Batman stated looking at her. “There’s more than what’s on the surface. If we’re wrong about just one thing here; we could very well be looking at an inter-dimensional war.”

               “What if you’re wrong?” Diana asked.

               “At least we won’t be at war,” Batman said softly before heading to the teleporters and Gotham.

* * *

               “Daniel Fenton, get up right now,” Maddie demanded banging on her son’s door. He wasn’t getting off that easy after not getting a job yesterday. She heard a mumbled curse but couldn’t make it out before also hearing a chair scrape across the floor.

               “I’m already awake,” Danny growled opening the door. “I’m trying to get my work done.”

               “You still have chores that need done too, and I have another two places where you can put in an application for a job,” Maddie informed crossing her arms.

               “And it can’t wait till next weekend? I still have homework that’s not done too,” Danny said. He had just put in for that application for Gotham University, and the grant that was also in the file. It was all by some guy named Bruce Wayne. Apparently some big shot money playboy from Gotham, but Danny wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

               “You said that you had it done yesterday,” Maddie growled glaring at him. Danny winced. He did get most of it done yesterday, but he still had that extra class, and the essays for the grant.

               “I forgot something,” Danny defeated looking down. “I’m almost done.”

               “Get it done,” Maddie said before slamming his door shut. Danny sighed before dropping back down into his chair.

               “Yeah, I’m so out of here when I graduate,” Danny said softly as he picked up the application again and read though it.

* * *

               “Dude, you look like hell,” Tucker said as they walked down the road. “Ghost trouble?”

               “No, my mom’s pissed at me for not getting a job,” Danny sighed pulling his backpack up further on his shoulder and avoiding putting pressure on his right side. “I’m leaving Amity after graduation.” Tucker stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and it took Danny a couple strides to realize his friend was now behind him.

               “Where could you possibly go? I mean, its your decision, and Sam is going to be super pissed about it, but where are you going to go?” Tucker asked concerned about his friend. Danny gave him a small smile.

               “Made a new friend who’s willing to help me,” Danny informed before continuing on to school.

               “Who?” Tucker called out before running up to his friend. Danny never answered.

 

* * *

* * *

              


	3. Hurried Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being captured, the White Collar team learn a lot about their friend after torture..

_Hurried Words_

_The truth is always going to hurt, no matter what it is._

* * *

 

               Peter looked at scene in front of him in horror. Neal was on his knees with his shirt ripped off. Both Diana and Jones were tied up looking at the scene with horror too as their friend was tortured. Although it was nothing compared the giant scar of a name on his back.

               “You know, Caffery, I really never thought about this until after you got me thrown in jail, although now I have to ask who Hush is?” Keller asked seeing the name as he walked around. Neal was breathing heavily before he started laughing.

               “Hush is a criminal and currently is in a body cast,” Neal growled out as he pulled himself up and slipped from the cuffs. He turned to Keller as Keller pointed the gun at him. “His real name is Doctor Thomas Elliot. And you have nothing on him.”

               “Really? You got the attention of a crazy sociopath. How’d you do that?” Keller asked as he aimed. Neal smiled before ducking down and nailing Keller in the gut.

               “It wasn’t me he was after, I was the bait,” Neal said as he knocked the gun out of Keller’s hand and flipped up and over him. Peter stared at him as Neal pinned Keller to the ground. “After all, he figured the best way to get to the Bat would be to get his first Robin.” Keller’s eyes widen as Neal slammed his elbow into Keller’s face.

               “Neal?” Peter whispered as he pulled at the cuffs. Neal stood straight up and Peter didn’t recognize the person staring back at him.

               “I’ve gone face to face with The Joker, and this is the one asshole who actually managed to get under my skin,” Neal said making Peter blanch. Neal walked over and helped him out of the cuffs.

               “You’ve never done anything like that before,” Peter said as he rubbed his wrists and looked over at Diana and Jones who were still staring. “What’s going on?”

               “Long story,” Neal said as he walked over to the other two and helped them out.

               “Yeah, and one you’re going to tell me at some point,” Peter said with narrowed eyes. “Whatever you’re into, Neal…”

               “My name’s not Neal,” Neal said as he straightened his back and cracked his neck. Peter went to Keller and cuffed the unconscious man. “And by tomorrow, Neal Caffery will be entirely erased from every computer database.”

               “Neal, you do this, you’ll always be running. You told me once that you didn’t want that,” Peter reminded. Neal smiled at him.

               “I don’t have to now,” Neal said as he grabbed a bag that was on the ground and pulled out a tight black shirt with a blue bird on the front. “I have other places to be and other things to do.” He put it on and turned to the three agents.

               “Neal,” Diana whispered knowing that this wasn’t going to end well.

               “No, I have work in Gotham that needs done. I’m sure you’ll figure a way to find me if anything gets too bad,” Neal said as he buckled a belt around his waist. Peter grabbed his arm.

               “You’re not going anywhere.”

               “I have to; there are people counting on me right now,” Neal informed as he looked at Peter. “Besides, I have a bet with Superman to win yet.”

               “You’ve met Superman?” Jones asked surprised.

               “Please, I’ve worked with him many times. He’s kinda stuck up sometimes,” Neal smiled as he pulled on the gloves and armor. “I’m surprised none of you have asked.”

               “You’re Nightwing,” Jones said crossing his arms. “Were you really trained by the Bat?”

               “He took me in when my parents were killed when I was nine. I wanted to kill the guy, and he didn’t let me,” Neal said softly. “He gave me a home when I lost everything.”

               “So he takes in strays, trains them to fight criminals, then just keeps going,” Peter said unhappy. Neal glared at him.

               “Not exactly. I started Robin because I’ve seen an unfair system,” Neal said as he strapped on the last of his armor as sirens sounded from outside. “I was shoved into juvie because the orphanage was full when my parents were murdered in front of me.”

               “Neal, that’s…” Peter stopped seeing something in Neal that he hadn’t seen before in the conman.

               “He saved my life. That’s enough for me. Now if you don’t mind, I have a bird to find and a shipment to track and take down before Batman finds it.”

 


End file.
